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Eight VFF Combat Vets Return to Iraq to Assess Situation on the Ground

Below you will find one of the finest groups of men in which America is honored to be considered their home. Eight of them shall undertake the grueling task of going back to Iraq to report about the situation on the ground…the TRUTH this time. Apparently that is NOT something they teach in journalistic ethics anymore.

This was written by Pete Hegseth of Vets For Freedom, and I hope you will keep them in your prayers. Also read their articles. They will be writing often, and with eight of them? It should be daily! lol. Oh, there’s going to be video, too! This is where you will find the news. If you’d like to follow as they go into dustbowl hell again, join and follow the reports from the Vets For Freedom.

Vets For Freedom - Back to Iraq to Asses Situation

Dear Vets for Freedom Members:

I’m excited to announce that next week, Vets for Freedom is sending eight Iraq war combat veterans “back to Iraq” to embed with U.S. combat units and assess the security and political situation on the ground. The media—-along with recent Iraq visitors—-have not sufficiently reported the gains on the ground…so we’ll do it ourselves.

We will return to the Iraqi cities where we once patrolled—-cities like Fallujah, Baqubah, Samarra, and Baghdad—-to provide a true “before and after” perspective and analyze the results of the surge, observe ongoing counterinsurgency operations, and examine future scenarios that might confront U.S. and Iraqi forces, as well as the Iraqi government.

All eight Vets for Freedom members have received their media credentials through Blackfive, National Review Online or The Weekly Standard. And while in Iraq, we will provide regular updates through the above media organizations and at www.vetsforfreedom.org. We will be blogging daily, writing full-length pieces, shooting video footage, and reporting live from the ground.

Embeds will be meeting with U.S. and Iraqi military and civilian leaders, and will focus our analysis on determining the durability of recent gains, the potential consequences of a rapid American withdrawal, the proper “conditions-based” metrics needed to measure future force levels, the status of displaced Iraqis, and the prospects for the return of al Qaeda to Iraq, amongst other issues.

I’m honored to be heading back to Iraq with such an incredible group of vets. I also want to thank the corporations UnderArmourandWiley-X for outfitting our group with the proper tactical clothing and eyewear, as well as North American Rescue for supplying us with medical supplies.

WASHINGTON, DC – Vets for Freedom (VFF) today announced that eight Iraq war veterans who are members of the organization will return to Iraq to assess conditions on the ground and analyze policy options for future U.S. military involvement. Next week they will return to the Iraqi cities where they once patrolled, to provide a true “before and after” perspective.

Success in Iraq demands a fact-based policy built on an objective assessment of conditions on the ground and the advice of U.S. commanders. Through this extensive review, VFF embeds will provide an informed understanding of the best future course for the United States in Iraq.

“The great danger is that policy becomes divorced from events on the ground. The only responsible course is to ensure that decisions on troop levels and other matters reflect the demands of the battlefield. To reduce forces ignorant of, or despite, the consequences would be to risk disaster,” remarked VFF Chairman Pete Hegseth.

Individuals participating in the embed in Iraq include Hegseth, David Bellavia, Joel Arends, Erik Swabb, Kate Norley, Shawn Bryan, Daniel Bell, and Ben Hayden. Biographies for these individuals, as well as where they will be embedded, may be found at www.vetsforfreedom.org/backtoiraq, and additional details about the trip will be made available as schedules in Iraq are finalized.

The assessment will include a series of real-time updates from key strategic points in Iraq, with visits to Ramadi, Fallujah, Baqubah, Samarra, Baghdad, amongst others. Following the return of the group, VFF will issue a report to elected officials and the public with findings and recommendations.

The analysis of the group will focus on determining the depth and durability of recent gains, the troop levels required to achieve stability, the potential consequences of a rapid American withdrawal, the proper “conditions-based” metrics needed to measure the right balance of U.S. and Iraqi forces, the status of displaced people seeking to return to their homes, and the prospects for the return of al Qaeda to Iraq, among other issues.

“Senator Obama has stated his intention to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq on a fixed timetable and without almost any consideration for facts on the ground and events in the region. A policy of effectively unconditional withdrawal from Iraq raises troubling questions. Through this on-the-ground assessment, members of VFF are committed to providing fact-based analysis of critical policy decisions,” concluded Hegseth.

For interviews, please contact those listed above. For more on Vets for Freedom and the “Four Months, For Victory” campaign, visit www.vetsforfreedom.org/fourmonths.

These are wonderful people, and they are sacrificing much to bring us so much information to you. They have already served in Iraq when it is was at its roughest and almost impossible to see the light at the end of the tunnel that John McCain saw so clearly. Let us be grateful for such men as these, and let us pray for them. Also, let us support them. Yes, I mean MONEY!

God bless you guys for doing this for us, and God bless everyone who truly supports them. Have a great day.